Dolan ready for Barcelona as he opens up on life at Espanyol

When Lamine Yamal and Marcus Rashford walk out as the Barcelona derby returns to Camp Nou on Saturday evening, there will be another winger looking to steal the show. And Espanyol’s Englishman Tyrhys Dolan cannot wait for his opportunity.

"Given what the rivalry means to our supporters, you are looked at as a legend if you do something," Dolan tells Sky Sports. "I don't think you could put something like that into words." But the summer signing from Blackburn has had some big moments already.

There was his assist for the winner against Athletic Club in Bilbao. "That stadium was probably, atmosphere-wise, the best I have played in." There was his goal against Celta Vigo, giving him the chance to bring out the somersault celebration. "I was buzzing."

Image: English winger Dolan celebrates after scoring for Espanyol against Celta Vigo

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He has faced Real Madrid in the Bernabeu. "Even just being in the starting line-up was a moment. These things do not come around every day and not many players can say they have done it. It was one of those pinch-myself moments. Kylian Mbappe was top."

The best direct opponent he has faced? That was Alejandro Balde in the home fixture against Barcelona, another big day. "Something you dream about," he says. "For me, it feels like the stuff you only see in video games. To actually go and play in it, it is special."

Importantly, Dolan has impressed. Espanyol were not exactly fancied but started the season strongly and were fifth at the turn of the year, just four points behind Atletico Madrid in third. Their speedy addition quickly won over the fans with his direct play.

"I have always been the kind of player who connects with fans. They just seem to love me. When my name gets read out, it gets some of the loudest cheers. That's special. People who say they don't love that are lying. It makes you do everything a bit better."

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Image: Barcelona's Lamine Yamal controls the ball challenged by Dolan

No wonder he describes the move as everything he hoped for and more. It is all an adventure for a player who was twice released by Manchester City as a youngster and arrived having never played top-flight football in England after five years at Blackburn.

Dolan himself admits LaLiga was a step up. "I just kind of got thrown in at the deep end with it and I didn't really expect it to go as well as it did," he admits. "Because there was no real time to adapt." It did mean having to tell his father a little white lie at first.

"My dad is football crazy and would ring every day asking how training went. For the first few weeks, I was telling him I was top. I didn't want him to worry. One time, I said to him, 'I was actually really good today'. He's gone to me, 'What do you mean, actually?!'"

Dolan explains: "I kind of panicked in those first weeks. Everything was different. Once the nerves settled I realised I deserved to be here. I had players telling me, 'How did you not get a Premier League move?!' It was crazy to hear that from LaLiga players."

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There were aspects of his game that he has had to adjust. While still lining up on the right, as he often did in the Championship, the role is different. "At Blackburn, I had a player overlapping me so I could play a bit more inside and get shots off," he explains.

"Here, they want me on the touchline so I am not getting as many shots off. My job is to get that half a yard to put a cross in. My crossing has stepped up so much. You have to bring different standards, find a bit more in your game. I have already progressed."

Away from the pitch, it has been an even bigger adjustment. "It is not all glamour moving away but is hard to be in a bad mood when the sun is shining and the beach is across the road," he says. "I am out of my comfort zone but that will make me stronger."

He enjoys going for coffee, finds the locals friendly and has got himself a Spanish teacher. The language is not as easy as he had first hoped. "I thought I'd be mint after a few weeks on Duolingo!" With supportive family and friends, there are always visitors.

"There is a whole crew of us," says a smiling Dolan, who has six siblings. "My friends have been an amazing support system for me and my family have missed maybe a couple of home games all season. They are coming out for the Barcelona game."

Image: Dolan celebrates after scoring for Blackburn against Plymouth last year

Dolan says he gets his "strong backbone" from his father and has always been able to show his emotional side with his mother. There have been times in his journey when he has needed that support. "I have had moments where I felt so far away from it," he says.

"After City released me I went straight to Preston. I was living away from home at 16 in a room with no TV. My mate from City pulled up in the newest Mercedes, all the designer gear. I could not even afford a TV. That is where you need to trust your own journey."

Others in his life have not been so fortunate. Dolan, now 24, wears an Espanyol shirt with the same number to mark the day in October 2020 when good friend Jeremy Wisten, a fellow player at Man City prior to his release, took his own life aged just 18.

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That trauma has inspired Dolan to become an ambassador for the charity Go Again, which supports young footballers who are dealing with the emotional impact of being released from academies. "I've literally got a call coming up with a kid," he explains.

"It is just a little call to boost up his confidence really and to let him know that I have been there myself. There is so much more that goes into being a footballer than people think. You are constantly awaiting judgment, which is a crazy thing to face as a kid.

"And if you do not hear what you want to hear, it is like your whole world has fallen apart. It is tough. You do not fully understand who you are at that point so it is difficult. There are more negatives than positives in football. But the positives make up for it."

Image: Dolan in Championship action against Sunderland's Jobe Bellingham

Dolan is articulate and engaging company as well as a talented player and an obvious inspiration to any young player who has faced setbacks. "I love my life in Barcelona. This is a place I can call home." Now, he wants to finish the season well with Espanyol.

"Everyone was talking about us after that first half of the season but we have struggled for results this year. We haven't got the biggest of squads and we are such a hard-working team compared to others in the league so that has taken its toll as well."

But they go into the weekend in the top half, still just a couple of wins away from a European place. Beating Barcelona would change everything. "If I scored the winner, I know how proud my family and friends would be. That would do it forever for me."

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